Gurbani Defines Naam

“Naam” is one of the terms often used willy-nilly and fully exploited by the crafty Pujaaree-Group (priest-class, Ragi, Parchaarak, Deraavaad …).

Not knowing or understanding the Gurbani’s definition of the Naam, many go to the good-for-nothing Deraavaad (“ਬਾਨਾਰਸਿ ਕੇ ਠਗ”) to get Naam, as they are the Thekedaar (contractor) of Naam, with exclusive rights to market it!!

Some self-proclaimed Sant or Guroo will take you into their secret chamber and spit it in your mouth!

Some will secretly blow it in your ear and will ask you not to reveal it to anybody or share with anybody!

Nowadays, some are heard selling Naam via email!!

The Gurbani rejects all this non-sense circus of the crafty or fraudulent mind!

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) defines the Naam

To remove our doubts, the Gurbani provides us very clear definition of the “Naam“. Here it is:

Since it’s through the Gurbani one may become absorbed into the Naam (“ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਇਆ”), Therefore, to understand the Naam, we need to understood (ਬੁਝਣਾਂ) the entire Gurbani through the Shabad- Vichaar.

Now, according to the Gurbani, how can the Shabad Guroo be realized? There is no shortcut! Shabad-Vichaar is must (Reflections on the Gur-Shabad, contemplation on it, Understanding it, then living that Brahm-Giaan of the Gurbani in daily life) — die in the Shabad.

However, there is the Gurbani’s condition as to how we can extract the Naam from the Gur-Shabad. That condition is — it must be understood properly through thr Shabad-Vichaar (Reflections on the Gur-Shabad) and then lived in daily life:

ਪੜਿਐ ਨਾਹੀ ਭੇਦੁ ਬੁਝਿਐ ਪਾਵਣਾ ॥: Not by reading (books), but through Understanding, is the Mystery Realized. (sggs 148).

To summarize the process, first off, the Gurbani urges us to bring about a “storm of the Divine Knowledge” within through the Shabad-Vichaar (Gurmat — Spiritual Wisdom or Giaan of the Gurbani). This practice of the Gur-Shabad (ਸਬਦ ਕਮਾਈ) will remove our doubts (Bharam), the spell of Maya (love or hunger of Maya), duality, attachment, desires, wicked intellect, and so on. This all is clearly explained in the following verses:

The word “Jalu–ਜਲੁ” (literally meaning water) in the foregoing verse symbolizes Naam-Amrit. For example, in the following verse the Naam-Amrit is said to be “ਜਲੁ-Jalu”:

ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਜਲੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਇਹੁ ਅਉਖਧੁ ਜਗਿ ਸਾਰਾ ॥: The Water of the Hari’s Naam-Amrit is immaculate. This is the best medicine in the world (to obtain Liberation). (sggs 659).

Therefore, in order to become immersed in the Naam-Amrit, the Gurbani urges us to realize the Gur-Shabad. This will require taking step Inward, living every moment with Shabad-Surti (Awareness).

In nutshell, “Brahm-Giaan” of the entire Gurbani introduces us to the Naam-Amrit. In other words, to understand the Naam, we need to understood (ਬੁਝਣਾਂ) the entire Gurbani through the Shabad- Vichaar (churning the Gurbani).

The Gurbani cannot be more clear and straightforward! Clearly, the Gurbani’s “Naam Japanaa” is NOT robotically chanting “Waheguroo, Waheguroo…” or any other word or phrase for that matter!!

We don’t allow the Gurbani to go through us

Although we go through the Gurbani (via reading/hearing/robotic memorization, etc.), but we don’t allow the Gurbani to go through us!!

The result is confusion. Taking advantage of people’s lack of understanding (ਸੂਝ-ਬੂਝ) of the Gurbani (SGGS), religious con-artists are flourishing and populating around the world.

The Gurbani is the Way of Understanding. It is not the way of Karamkaand — mechanical reading or reciting, dogmas, fanaticism, rituals, Pakhand, etc, as propagated by the crafty Pujaaree-Group.

There is no place for Karamkaand in the Gurmati or Wisdom of the SGGS. Those who think otherwise apparently take the Gur-Shabad to be just a song or “ਗੀਤੁ-Geetu” just as the greedy and crafty Pujaaree-Group which has been rejected in the Gurbani.

ਪੰਡਿਤ ਮੁਲਾਂ ਜੋ ਲਿਖਿ ਦੀਆ ॥ ਛਾਡਿ ਚਲੇ ਹਮ ਕਛੂ ਨ ਲੀਆ ॥੩॥: Whatever the Pandit and the Mullaan have written (the path of Karamkaand, Shariyat…), I have abandoned (all of that); I have not taken any of it ||3||. (sggs 1159).

In nutshell, the SGGS time and again reminds us that Naam is the best of all Wealth, the greatest Treasure, a valued Divine Gift, etc. – a greatest asset in human life!

ਘਰ ਹੀ ਮਹਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਭਰਪੂਰੁ ਹੈ ਮਨਮੁਖਾ ਸਾਦੁ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ॥ ਜਿਉ ਕਸਤੂਰੀ ਮਿਰਗੁ ਨ ਜਾਣੈ ਭ੍ਰਮਦਾ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਇਆ ॥ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਤਜਿ ਬਿਖੁ ਸੰਗ੍ਰਹੈ ਕਰਤੈ ਆਪਿ ਖੁਆਇਆ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਵਿਰਲੇ ਸੋਝੀ ਪਈ ਤਿਨਾ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਦਿਖਾਇਆ ॥: The home within is filled with Ambrosial Nectar, but the self-willed manmukh does not get to taste it. He is like the deer, who does not recognize its own musk-scent; it wanders around, deluded by doubt. The manmukh forsakes the Ambrosial Nectar, and instead gathers poison; the Creator Himself has fooled him. How rare are the Gurmukhs, who obtain this understanding; they behold the Lord God within themselves.

The mind is what takes us away from the divine that’s why guruji says manmukh that is mind facing and this is when apparently we believe our existence as a separate individual however our true essential nature is that of pure awareness or jot saroop and this is realised the minute we become Gurmukh that is we turn our attention towards the divine within or gur within.

Yet we are always this divine self , apparently unaware of our divinity due to the mind which overpowers.
Through shabad veechaar and just by being the witness of all the thoughts we discover the timeless being which we have always been.

Man meria antar tere nidhaan hai.
We need to keep watching this mind which is what is maya or haumai and yet that pristine awareness is always timelessly what we all are.

Slightly different perspective: how could we find ABINAASEE PRABHu with foggy lens? Gurbani is Awe ! Wao ! bismad – WithoutGurBani – the manifested Guru actualizing ABINAASEE PRABHu seems a challenge;
A slight change in the spelling may bring the insightfulness of a lifetime transformation, connecting all dots, clearing all fog; – it doesnt seem anything close to dissecting – it is an inquiry, repeatedly researching, reflecting, learning, re-validating to reach the grounded insight( BudhBibeka).

The abhinasee prabh is our deepest reality. The indestructible essence is what our real self is our atma.
This can be experienced through kirpa and pure longing for this gyan.
The awareness that is aware of all the thoughts feelings and emotions is what is pristine and before all our conditioning, this is abhinasee prabh.

Nirkhat nirkhat jab jai paava tab lai nirkhai nirakh milava.
Searching searching when it is found then the seeker merges into the seeking and the seeker becomes the sought.

The search for abhinasee prabh is a search as long as we are identified with our minds which makes us feel that we are a separate individual but the moment we see ourselves beyond the mind then it is seen that abhinasee prabh is the essence.

Just at this moment if we keep the mind aside there is a deep sense of presence which is aware of everything
And through which all senses are functioning.
Staying with this is naam Simran.

And this takes us away from the mind with all its dualities.
Antar gur aradhna jehva jap gur nao.

Satnam – Thanks for adding so much luv, NaNK’s NaMou to the conversation. Here is an example -what I meant by researching and insight could emerge for a new meaning of the same word
Mind – how about understanding and exploring it as seeking MyEnd – a domain where, I , my, me, affiliations end, wouldnt this affirmation, on finding meaning, identifying with the barriers of “I , my, me” there after it is “Antar gur aradhna jehva jap gur nao”

Thank you for reiterating how abhinasee prabh is seen and “experienced through kirpa and pure longing ”

I truly agree with you veerji gurbani is metaphysical poetry not to be taken literally. Sometimes gur Guru and other spellings are for lyrical prosody, the main core essence of all gurbani being only to find the abhinasee prabh.

If we intellectuallydissect bani like the above posts it ll only take us at the level of mind and not beyond the duality of shabd jaal or linguistic correctness, one might be a scholar by such futile intellectual understanding but definitely not a gyani because our emphasis should be on gyan and not at mere spellings.

Guru Gobind singh ji says aad ant ekai avatara soiee guru samjhio hamara.
Now from this line it only means that which does not change is the Guru, which in bane is used by synonyms like Akal purakh or abhinasee prabh or sahib.

We can keep getting into debates about differences between alternate spellings like ajooni or a Joni but truly speaking they were only for the poetic beauty to fit into the meter of the style of the poetry,
However all gurbani is always to be understood from ek ongkaaar.

And so all apparently dualism is language for its poetic beauty has been used to dissolve our mind into that supreme wahiguru, ppl might argue that Guru shabad nam hukam are different but if you understand ek oankaar the mystery will be revealed and please understand ek oankaar is not one god it is only the one that always is.

All our Guru Sahibs merged into their essence and so became ajooni as they were one with the unborn light and therefore we worship our own gur or divine essence which is reflected through the physical forms.

At the root of this very mind is Paramatma , we can call that Guru or shabad or naam and as sikhs to understand this mool as everything is our job not to be stuck in word web.

In bavan akhari by kabir ji he himself says that the words are only a duality of the mind the imperishable cannot be expressed through the words and it is only the job of scholars to debate that not the job of a seeker of truth.

Sabh gobind hai sabh gobind hai gobind bin nahin koi,
Now think and tell is gobind different from Guru or is ram different from gurooo or is ek different from Sahaj or are we different from ek oankaar. People who are attached to their mind and a separate self gurbani calls it haumai might say noo no sikh ek oankaar is different from Hindu om which is different from our guru but sangat ji this is sheer ignorance the truth is one and the only one. Our gurus were not proclaiming a different truth from Buddhist or Hindu truth, they were simply showing us our essence which is beyond religion.

Everyday when we read jaap sahib these are not words separate from out true identity. Words like adharmang amajbe sat chid ananda and countless other beatiful words are only pointing to ek that supreme truth, now it’s a good intellectual discussion to say no no our gurus are stating a sikh truth and all this is futile.

That is why all gurbani is to be understood from the heart not the mind and from the standpoint of ek oankaar.

From within gurbaanee we are supposed to get the understanding of ABINAASEE PRABHu only and this understanding is being provided thru the application of words Gur/ guru and Guroo.
we are grossly deviating from the core concept of knowledge from gurbaanee.

Thank you sir, “Also the Mool Mantar tells us Ajooni when the Braham is Complete or In Oneness”
Please
search,
read,
answer and
share about ਆਜੂਨੀ whether or not it is complete ?
Gurbani reflections are based on Gurbani only.

Mai bin gur dekhe nind na aavai.
In above pankti which gur in jooni the gurbani is talking about?
In our day to day life how we live this line of gurbani and which gur we should remember, is that some dehdhari guru?
Please clear my doubt.

Mukesh Veer Ji, based on my understanding, in Sikhi, the Divine Darshan can be experienced through the eyes of the “Budhi” which is absolutely in sync with the “Bibek Budhi” (“ਬਿਬੇਕ ਬੁਧਿ”) of the Gurbani.

Thanks T singh ji for nice explanation
But my question is our normal eyes cant have the darshan of divine that is what gurbani says, so gur should be ajooni not in joni as said by veer gurjeet singh ji
“Mai bin gur dehhai neend na aavai” here gur is ajooni and we need bibek budhi to have the darshan of the gur.

Mukesh ji,
“But my question is our normal eyes cant have the darshan of divine that is what gurbani says,”
You can see “Gur” with your normal eyes as gurbanee says.For this you should be first know and accept what is Gur as per Gurbaanee.
In my opinion the very first FIG at the begening of SGGS ji is to be known and accepted as Gur .
So whenever wherever you see this FIG you should be having the Darshan of DIVINE as Gur.

In another Sabd Mhla 4 elaborates how glimpse of Guru is achieved by the technique of ਗੁਰ – ਬਿਰਹੁ on a daily basis by meditating on NaMou- listening to keertan day to day living these methods appeal to the Guru and helps see the Guru
ਨੈਣੀ ਬਿਰਹੁ ਦੇਖਾ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਸਨਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਖਾਨੀ ॥
ਸ੍ਰਵਣੀ ਕੀਰਤਨੁ ਸੁਨਉ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤੀ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਭਾਨੀ ॥੩॥